Gaine Expects Contributions With Four Picks In Top 103

Texans Looking Forward To Three Thirds And One Fourth

HOUSTON (SPORTSRADIO 610) – Texans General Manager Brian Gaine is confident that the Texans will find contributors despite not having a selection until No. 68 overall.

“As it relates to not having a first and second round pick, there are certainly challenges involved with that in terms of getting blue chip talent and blue chip prospects, but the focus that I have had and our staff has had here has been we are going to get a chance to get four players in the top 103 in this draft. So, if things were standard and we had a first and second round pick, a third and fourth round pick, that would still give us four players in the top 103. Now, although they might not be player 50 or 60, we’re still going to get four players, we believe, in the top 103. So, we’re very positive that we’ll be able to get contributing players at any one of those picks in the third and the fourth round,” Gaine said confidently in a pre-draft media session.

Through free agency, the Texans have improved in areas that they wanted to get better. Signing Tyrann Mathieu and Aaron Colvin while resigning Jonathan Joseph gives the Texans confidence they’ve improved in the secondary. While the additions of Seantrel Henderson, Senio Kelemete, and Zach Fulton give Texans optimism the offensive line will be better as well.

“We feel like some of the things we did in free agency are going to put us in position in the draft where you’re not going to get forced to have to draft a player based on need,” Gaine said. “The players that we acquired both on the offensive line and in the secondary, give us position flexibility within the group, so at least now we feel like we’re in position that if we draft players now, we’re hopefully drafting the best available player in that regard. The best combination of a pick is when you take the best available player that also meets a team need.”

An interesting viewpoint of this draft is that it’s the first with Gaine as the general manager. While it may not be the best sample of how Gaine will handle a draft because he doesn’t have a first or second round pick, we will begin to discover how he handles a draft.

“My philosophy has always been if we can draft, develop, groom and extend our own, that will be the first thing I’ll always try to do in terms of philosophy and how we want to build a team, career-wise and longevity-wise. I do subscribe to that philosophy,” Gaine said on his ideal way to build a roster.

One of the more entertaining things during a draft is how a general manager will handle the draft day strategies, whether he targets a player to trade up for, or if he wants to trade down and acquire more picks.

“If there’s a certain player that’s falling down on the board that we had a very good grade on, certainly we’re always going to talk about that scenario if we have the ammunition and the latitude to go up. Historically, I would much prefer to go down than I ever would to go up, to get more at-bats, to accumulate more good players, but on a case-by-case basis, if we’re honoring the draft board and we see a player that potentially might be slipping down the draft board and we have the opportunity to go get him and be aggressive, we’ll measure that as well,” Gaine commented on how he plans to handle drafts at the helm.

While this is Gaine’s first draft leading the charge, it’s clear he doesn’t lack any confidence.

“I’ve been doing this for 20 years in scouting and in personnel. I’ve had the opportunity to be general scout, I’ve done pro scouting, I’ve done college scouting, I’ve been a director, I’ve been an assistant general manager,” Gaine said. I’ve had great partners, great mentors, great people to learn from. At some point you have to trust your training and you do have to trust your instinct. But, also, it goes back to preparation. Preparation will lead to best execution.”